Tech Archives – Page 2 of 25

Making Electrical Drives More Efficient

The climate crisis urges us to use every means of reducing CO2 emissions. To reduce the energy consumption of electrical drive applications, researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Malta are working on a hybrid inverter drive. This device will be able to adjust the power input to an electric motor, thus avoiding power losses. With 8 billion electric motors in the EU alone, even small energy savings can scale up to big contributions towards a sustainable future.

Green Cosmetics: An Engineering Perspective on Cosmetic Packaging

Opinion

The global cosmetics industry is a multi-billion euro business that shows no signs of slowing down. A large percentage of this evaluation is attributed to product packaging, which introduces a considerable environmental issue due to the skyrocketing demands for plastic packaging.

cosmetics engineering green packaging

The Future of Campus Energy

Of all energy resources, solar energy is the most abundant. Harnessed even in cloudy weather, the rate of solar energy that arrives on Earth is 10,000 times greater than the rate at which humankind consumes energy. Solar technologies can deliver heat, cooling, natural lighting, electricity, and fuels for a host of applications.

But how does this technology work? Can the University of Malta (UM) lead the way towards greener energy?

solar energy university of malta

Modl.ai: Creating the Ultimate AI Game Testers

A spin-out from the University of Malta’s Institute of Digital Games is working on artificial intelligence-run game testing software. The engine would run thousands of low-level testing rounds before humans engage in high-level testing of a game prior to market release. Modl.ai co-founder Georgios N. Yannakakis tells THINK how his team aspires to change the game.

ai artificial intelligence institute of digital games playtesting video games

Can You Enhance That?

Cop shows have taught us that grainy photos of a crime scene usually contain clues to a killer in action. By zooming in or running a program, investigators are able to catch critical clues to help in their investigation. In reality, if one zooms in on a poor-quality image, one simply gets pixels. A team of researchers at the University of Malta (UM) are developing software which can enhance images to extract critical details and clues using artificial intelligence. Dr Ing. Christian Galea, one of the researchers in the Deep-FIR project, talks us through his journey.

Feature

artificial intelligence

ZEROCO2 Buildings: A Step Closer to Carbon Neutrality

There is more to making a building energy efficient than simply installing PV Panels. To create a truly zero-energy building, a holistic approach involving engineers, architects, and builders needs to be taken. THINK sits with Prof. Ing. Charles Yousif and his team to see what such an approach looks like.

Focus

carbon neutrality

Playing Maltese History

When we study history, we might think of larger-than-life figures such as William the Conqueror and Napoleon or of crucial dates such as the French Revolution of 1789 or the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But it is also possible to look at history through the lens of microhistory and socio-economic processes, focusing on the daily lives of the people or communities that lived through the time. For the team behind the project Playing Maltese History, this lens was the starting point for their video game, Valletta: Streets of History.

augmented reality Department of English institute of digital games maltese history valletta video game

A New Way to Harvest Energy

Pacemakers and cochlear implants are wonders of modern engineering. However, these tools need to have their batteries replaced periodically. Over the past six years, Dr Ing. Francarl Galea has delved into the world of microelectronics and developed a new integrated circuit that is promising to solve that and many more problems.

Doctoral Research Energy Harvester Francarl Galea integrated circuit Ivan Grech microelectronics owen casha

Is ChatGPT an Aid or a Cheat?

From the perspective of a student and an academic, how can ChatGPT be used in academia? Nathanael Schembri explores how the AI could be used to aid in assessments as well as scholarly work; such as in writing dissertations and research papers.

academia ai assessment assignment ChatGPT exams Patrick J. Schembri

We Be (Game) Jammin’ – The Global Game Jam 2023

For many of us, video games are a fun way to spend an evening. However, for some, video games are an integral part of our lives. When we’re not playing them, we’re reading about them, trawling through forums and ‘let’s plays’, and making them. The Global Game Jam brings together like-minded people for an intense three days of developing a game from scratch.

Albero & Puu Antonios Liapis Egg-scure me! game jam games Global Game Jam 2023 institute of digital games roots Roots2 Rozzy Shroot 'em Up Sudo video games